Anatomical footwear.



No. 812,920. lPAlfzeNTl-:D FEB. 2O, 1906.

' H. P. OOLE.

ANATOMIOAL FOOTWEAR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1904.

'2 sums-sum1' 1.

PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

H. P. COLE. ANATOMIUAL FOGTWEA'R.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

llamen ar.' fara E 0b Ze Witnesses:

UNiTEn sriiriasA AIPA'IEIII" OFFICE.

IIARLAN P. COLE, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, `ASSlGNOlt rl() NICT'IIF. D. COLE, OF HARTFORD,CONNEC'IICUT.

ANATOIVIICAL FOOTWEAR.

Patented Feb. 20, 1906.

Application filed February 1.6. 1904. Serial No. 193,862.

To @ZZ whom if may concern:

, Be it known that I, HARLAN'P. COLE, a citizen of the United States of America, residingat Hartford, in the county of. Hartford and State of Connecticut`,`have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Anatomical Footwear,.of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to anatomical footwearpf all kinds, and has for its object the prevention and cure of the disabilities and deformities known to surgeons as talipes valo11s, talipes'varua weak foot, flatoot, 4Sac.

It is of universal knowledge that many people are afllicted with weak' ankles, thereby causing the feet to turn while standing or walking, which weakness if not remedied frequently results in one or other of the above.

lection oi" bones forming the skeleton of the human foot is arranged in such -a manner that when the weight of the body rests upon it the foot would topple over to the inside were it not for the support of certain muscles of the le that pass down to the foot from opposite si es, spread their tendons out p across its under surface, and keep the transverse axis of the foot in a horizontal position. The arch of the foot, so called, maintains` its normal position, with its inner border raised from the surface on which the foot vrests so long as these muscles are normally healthy.

Primarily, the object of my invention is the provision of footwear of any kind so constructed as to support the parts liable to displacement through straining or weakeninrr of muscles, -thus preventing the turning o the ankle or the rotation of the foot inward or outward upon its long axis.

In ordinary footwear the sole iscurved inwardly to form the shank in sucha way that4 no support is afforded to the foot where such support is most needed-just beneath and inimediately anterior to the ankle-and the heel is located back of these points, so that it affords no support to that part of the foot receiving the weight of the body. Consequently the ordinary shoe, boot, or other footwear' does not furnish this support, and therefore in no way acts to prevent the turning of the foot on its longitudinal axis when the weight ol the body overcomes the weakened muscles.

In view of the premises a further obj oct of my invention is the provision of a sole constructed on lines adapted to sustain the normal position of the foot and still'eiied or reinforced under one lateral h alf il desired.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a heel of such shape that the ceiitei ed through the leg to the foot will fall wi thin the base thereof, so that it will be impossible for the ankle to turn or the foot to revolve about its longitudinal axis. l

A further object of the invention is the provision of footwear of synnnetrical shape, which will not apparently differ in appearance to the-casual observer from the common kinds in universal use, but which will not only prevent the troubles abovesetforth, but will effect a cure of chronic cases.

By the term footwear is meant any artiole of the kind-for instance, boots, shoes, sandals, slippers, &c.-coinmonly employed for the protection of the human foot.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan vi ew of the skeleton of the human foot. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sole of an article of footwear constructed-in accordance with the present invention, said' view showin by dotted lines an outline of the skeleton ol the to sustain the normal position of the foot. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of footwear constructed in accordance with my invention. Figs. 4 and 5 are side a'ndbottom views of a different form of the invention. F ig'. 6 is a section cn line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Like numerals designate similarI parts throughout the several views.

In Fig. .i perior articular surface ci" the astragalus, the

f the foot 2, the anterior portion of that bone 5 3, the os ealeis 3 5, the scaphoid bone; 6, the internal cuneiforin bone; 7, the middle 'the numeral 'l designates the su.

of gravity or the weight of the 'body conductfoot and also diagrammatically illustrating 1 the manner in which the invention opeiates'f IOO major axis of which lies parallel to the length vto ' 45j tendedsole and valso within' the forward extension 23 and the .lateral extension 22 of the 5 three chiefjpoints-the under surface of the posteriorpart ofthe vos'calcis 3, the headof the irstr'metatarsalboneya'nd the head of the fifth metatarsal bone-and it will be seen that :the upper articular surface of the astra alus'1',whic h supports the weight of the bo y through'its artlculation with the bones of the leg, lies to .theinner side of the line zr.,

joininv the.A under surface of the posterior part of the qsalcis (the-heel) to the head of x 5'. the first metatarsalbonaand that the center of avitygof the joint between the astragalus anrthetibia (shin-bone) isv at about the point indicated b' .the circle 15in Figs. 1- and-2, and*V consequent yf the 'weightof the body will haare' a tendency to cause the astragalu's and the os calcis, upoiian inward projection of- Which-the former rests for the most. part, to

rock iaterally against their sustaining musclesand reventt 's action and afford a 'firm support -orl theinstep, I extend the sole of theshoe from the position in Whichit is usu ally formed, as indicated bythe dotted line 16 in Fig. 2, to the position indicated by the full line 17 in 3o said figure. In other words, the sole of foote Wear embod lng my invention is extended, as at .17, to lie under the entire under surface ofthe foot, and-said sole may be stiffened or reinforced, as at- 18, to afford greater rigidity and sustaining-power, if desired.

In myV invention the heel 19, Awhich in the usual 'construction terminates at the dotted v line20 21 in diagram Fig. 2, is extended latu i erally at 22 beyond the bearing-point 15A of 4o the-weight of the body and is projected forl ward at 23,.also beyond said point, all as illustrated in said Fig. 2, whereby the line lof weight of thel body asextended through the leg and designated 'by thecircle 15 in Figs. 1 and l2 will-` come withint'he line 17 of the exheel, sd'that" the naturalgtendency of the foot o rock on its longitudinal axis is absolutely 5o prevented.

Lgt extensions of thevsole and vheel illusrated 1n 2 are particularly adapted for fcases in whic there is a weakness orjtendency 'vf to Weakness ofthe muscles that pass to the 55 inner side of the ankle and su port the arch.

f ,""of the foot. ii ency to an outward revolution of the foot In cases' where t ere' is a tendpoducea turning "of the foot,I ST0' y solean also that of the heel of 'my improved footwear without departure from the invenabout :its .long axis the extensions of the sole and heel are made on the side of the footwear, as shown at 24 in vFi s. 4 to 6 ,'inclusive.

In lasts on whic ordinary footwear is formed the heel ofthe last is convex onits under side, and-consequently reduces a conrests'upon it, as at 25, Fig. 6, thus vaffording a firm and straight bearing-surface, which will :aid-in' preventing the rotation of the foot on its longitudinal axis. It will thus be seen that the weight of the body, supported' as it is by the legs, is so sustained that there is no. liability of the inward-or outward rotation of the foot. and that weak ankles are effectually sustained without the` ossi-bility and runmng down the heels thereof;

Chan es may be made in the. shape of the tion, which is not limited to the 'exempliflcations given.. Furthermore, the construction may be such that the foot may be supported in ways different from that shown and still be within the-purview of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1 1 Footwear having a 'sole laterally extended on one side, and aheel also laterally extended on one side to conform to the extension of the sole, said heel bein forwardlyextended on one side bene ath the s ank,whereby the weight of the body is thrown within the vented.

l 2. Footwear having a'heel extended laterally beyond the normal sole to sustain'the foot and extended forwardly onv the inner side over the shank, whereby the line of weightof the body is thrown within the space occupied by said heel, and rocking of the foot on its longitudinal axis is revented.

In testlmony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Y HABLAN r. COLE.

Witnesses;A

F. E. ANDERSON, C. F.ScriMELz.

of vturnin and thereby distorting t efootwear employe 

